


Under Pressure

by SunnyD_lite



Category: Firefly
Genre: Gen, Post Series Pre-Movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-02
Updated: 2010-04-02
Packaged: 2017-10-08 15:53:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/77300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunnyD_lite/pseuds/SunnyD_lite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You know I'm not favoring warning signals!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Under Pressure

**Author's Note:**

> TamingtheMuse Prompt: 99 Clamp  
> Disclaimer: I own this verse. Look on my works and despair! Or you know, don't. Created by Joss, owned by corporations. No profit here, please move along.

Steam hissed from one of the coolant tubes, as Kaylee scrambled to clamp a patch on it. Serenity was a beautiful ship, finest in the Black, she'd swear to it. But even Companions needed 'beauty sleep', something sorely lacking lately.

"Hush girl, I'm here," she whispered as she screwed the C clamp and metal sheeting over the affected area. Opposing force of the vice would hold things together, for now, but twasn't a permanent solution. She gave the handle of the screw a final twist before wiggling out from under the manifold. She'd keep things together, but for how long?

"Kaylee!" squawked the speaker, "What in tarnation is going on? We've got lights where lights ain't belong up here! You know I'm not favoring warning signals!"

No, the Captain never much cared for warnings. "All shiny now, Capt," she responded. "Just Serenity blowing off a little steam!"

Fact was, it was pure luck that she be near when it happened, that she had tools for the fix on hand, in hand. 'Less she started sleeping in the engine room, she wasn't sure how to prevent this from happening again. Or how to be here when that clamp blew.

"Um Capt?" She felt her lower lip beneath her teeth. Much as he hated warnings, he needed to know. "You know how I mentioned we need some buffers? There's additions to the shopping list."

"Kaylee, what did I say about adding to that list!" the speaker growled back. Not that she'd even taken noticed of the Captain's grumpiness. It was just a part of him, like his protectiveness. Or his tight pants.

But that tone did mean she'd better made do with what she had. She glared at the stack of various sized clamps, of patches, coils of piping tubing and others. Her hands quickly sorted through what Jayne had referred to as her 'pile of gos se'. Course she never took no notice of him neither.

A cough behind her made her turn for the door, where the person she did take notice of was hovering.

"I don't mean to disturb you, but.. ." Simon always looked so put together, even if it was just another day on the ship. She brushed her hand across her cheek, then looked down. It was streaked in grease.

"No fuss. You're always welcomed here." Was that too much? It was too much. "I mean it's not like there's restrictions on the engine room or nothing. Everyone can be here." And that was clearly much too much. She missed Inara. Inara always had a cup of tea, or something stronger, after her words escaped her like that steam leak she'd just patched.

He blinked, hiding his gorgeous eyes. "Well thank you for that. Have you seen River?"

River. She forced the smile to stay on her face. Why did she think he'd been searching for her? River was his sun. And she? She might be a minor constellation.

"Nope not here." Keep smiling.

"Are you sure? I've looked everywhere. It's imperative that I keep her medication on schedule."

Timing. Was always timing, wasn't it.

"Still not here, but did you try the hold? She likes looking over things." Maybe it came from what they did before. Plus she was as graceful as a cat. Beside River, she always felt like cattle.

She wasn't used to that kind of pressure. Fellas she'd gone for before had been more impressed by her knowledge of ships and engines. She'd never felt need to worry much 'bout her looks. They served.

Simon wasn't like the other fellas.

The whole crew was feeling pressure now. They'd been hopping planet to planet looking for work. They'd lost the Shepherd and Inara. Kaylee wasn't sure if they could stand any more leaks.

Simon smiled, then left in pursuit of his sister. Kaylee glanced at the empty doorway and then down at the mis-matched bits and bobs she'd gathered cross the verse. None was supposed to go together, but up to now she'd made it work. Timing. Theirs might be running out.

Serenity wasn't what she'd been. And love could only fix so much.


End file.
